


Blueberry Jam

by The_Crazy_Fangirl



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Awkward Kissing, Birthday Presents, Bribery, Cake, Don't die from fluff, Engagement, F/M, Fireworks, Fluff, Hogwarts, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Lots of references to Jam, Magic backpacks, Marauders' Era, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Quiddich, SO MUCH FLUFF, Shirtless, Sleepovers, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Truth or Dare, Wedding Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-01
Updated: 2016-10-01
Packaged: 2018-08-18 19:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 8,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8173123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Crazy_Fangirl/pseuds/The_Crazy_Fangirl
Summary: Fluffy Lily and James Potter relationship stuff. Enjoy.





	1. Blueberry Jam

In the morning at breakfast, James sat down next to me. I started to butter a piece of toast, and he immediately handed me the blueberry jam. "Um, thanks," I said, sort of confused. "How did you know I wanted blueberry?"  
He smiled. "I noticed you always have toast with blueberry jam in the mornings," he said proudly. I was shocked. James Potter had actually paid attention to something. And it was me.  
I was blushing a little now. "Thanks," I said quickly, looking down and spreading jam on my toast. I could feel his eyes on me still, so I didn't look up until Sirius arrived and they started talking.  
I couldn't believe it. James Potter was famous for never paying attention to anything. He zoned out in classes, doodled on his homework, and played with a snitch while people talked to him.  
And yet, he payed attention to me. And he remembered my favorite jam flavor. And had the courtesy to hand it to me. 'Has the world gone mad?' I thought.


	2. The Nerve of James Potter

Mary and I sat by the lake playing sticks. Everyone was outside today, enjoying the sunny Hogwarts grounds. Exams had just ended yesterday, so no one had homework.   
Mary, who was a year ahead of me, was talking about hard her N.E.W.T.s had been. I tuned her out, still thinking about James. 'What else does he know about me?' I thought. 'It's kinda creepy to think that he watches me that much.'  
Just then, someone came up behind me. I turned around and saw that it was Remus, holding a broomstick. "Hi, Lily," he said casually. "Want to play quidditch with us?" I knew "us" meant James, Sirius, and Peter.   
Mary looked at me, almost daring me to leave. But quidditch sounded fun... "Sure," I finally said. Mary glared at me in disbelief.   
"Sorry!" I said apologetically. "We can talk later." Remus led me away to the quidditch pitch. When we arrived, Sirius and James were tossing a quaffle back and forth.   
"I got her," Remus shouted. James let the quaffle drop and he came running over, a huge grin on his face.   
"Brilliant!" He exclaimed. "Alright, Evans, you and Remus versus me and Sirius."  
"Sirius and I," Remus corrected him. James rolled his eyes and started walking back to the pitch. Remus and I followed.  
When we got their, James handed me a broomstick. I saw that it was a Cleansweep 7, the latest model. "How did you-" I began.   
"Won it," James answered. "There was a quidditch trivia page in the Prophet. I got all the a answers right, so I won the broomstick."  
'Another thing he actually pays attention too!' I thought. 'Maybe he's not really that bad.'  
"Lily?" I looked back up at him. He was standing pretty close, so I took a step back.   
"What?"   
"You spaced out their for a second," he said. "And you have something on your face."  
"Where?" I asked. He took a step forward.   
"There," he said, and he wiped something off my chin with his thumb. I was startled. 'James Potter just touched my face!' I thought.   
"Hey," he said, "it's blueberry jam!" He grinned and licked his thumb. His smile faded when he saw how I was glaring at him.   
"What?" He asked.   
"You've got a lot of nerve, Potter," I said coldly. I dropped the Cleansweep 7 and marched away.


	3. Birthday Gift

I watched Hogwarts disappear behind me through the window. I knew that next time I saw Hogwarts again, it would be the last time.   
Mary had tears in her eyes. I put a hand on her shoulder. "You can still come visit," I reminded her. "Mcgonagall would love to see you again, you're the smartest person in your year."  
Mary smiled. "Thanks," she said. "I don't really want to come back, it's just that... Hogwarts is like, my comfort zone. Now I'm going into the real world, and right when we're on the brink of war."  
I opened my mouth to reassure her but at that moment, James Potter opened the door to our compartment.   
"What do you want, Potter?" I asked impatiently. He smiled flirtatiously.   
"I just came to give you a little something for your birthday. I know it's next week, and since I won't be there, well- anyways, here you go." He handed me a small package wrapped in lavender paper.   
I took it but just stared at him in shock. "Okay," I said, "This is getting kind of creepy. First, you watch me at breakfast every morning, and now you know my birthday?"   
Mary looked back and forth between us, confused. James grinned. "I heard Relda asking you about your plans for your birthday next week," he explained.   
"Stalker," Mary said. James shook his head.   
"No," he said, "I just like looking at pretty girls like Evans." I rolled my eyes.   
"Go away, Potter," I demanded. He frowned.   
"What, I don't even get a thank you? That's cold, Evans." I blushed.   
"Thank you," I said. "Now really, get out." James frowned.   
"I want to see you open it," He said. I shook my head.   
"Knowing you, it's a prank," I said. "I'm not opening it. James faked looking hurt.   
"What, me? Prank someone?" He gasped. "No!" I rolled my eyes. "Really," he pleaded, "I swear I didn't do anything to it. You can even try to reveal a spell."   
I took out my wand and said, "Specialas revelio." The box started shaking and glowed gold. James looked at me innocently.   
"See? Good spell." I carefully unwrapped the lavender paper and set it aside. I looked at James, trying to read his expression to see if I was about to be pranked. I didn't see anything.   
I used my wand to slice open the box, and got a face full of gold confetti. The box started singing, "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Lily, happy birthday to you!" I smiled. It was great.   
I took out a jar of..."Blueberry jam!" James announced proudly. Mary looked at him, confused.   
"He knows I eat toast with blueberry jam every morning," I explained. Mary nodded. I looked back up at James.   
"Thanks," I said, grinning. "I'll probably use this up pretty quick."   
"Happy birthday," he said, and he left and closed the door.


	4. Backpacks

I strolled through the aisles of Madam Malkin's, looking for the Gryffindor school supplies. I went passed ties, scarves, hats, jackets, earmuffs... Ah, school supplies.   
I picked up a notebook with the Gryffindor lion on it, some quills, and ink. Then, I had to pick out a back pack. I walked down the aisle, looking for the perfect one.   
There were house backpacks, quidditch ones, professional quidditch teams, and bands. There were also solid colors, stripes, polka-dots, diamonds, hearts, stars, waves, paisley, and plaid. I was walking over to the magical backpacks when I saw them.   
James and Sirius were looking at backpacks too. 'Oh Merlin, I have to hide!' I thought. Too late though. James saw me.   
"Evans!" He exclaimed, strolling over to me. Sirius smirked at me from behind James. "Fancy meeting you here," James said happily. I glared at him.   
"Yeah. What do you want?" I asked. He stopped in front of me and put his hands in his pockets.   
"Didn't you get the letter?" He asked excitedly. "You and I are head boy and girl."  
I gulped. I had gotten the letter, and I was dreading going to school. James and I would be sharing a dormitory. Alone. It was going to be torture. "I know," I said hoarsely. Mentally I shook myself. "How did you get to be Head Boy?"  
Sirius came up behind him. "Isn't it obvious? James got the second best graves. You got the best."  
I couldn't believe it. James Potter, getting grades second only to me. 'Yep, the world has gone mad,' I thought. "Oh," I said casually. "Well, anyways, I have to pick out a backpack quickly, my Dad is waiting."  
I quickly walked past them and looked at the magic backpacks. There were some that changed color, some that were light as a feather, and some that said their contents out loud. I took a lavender one that was as light as a feather and started to leave but James stopped me.   
"What is it, Potter?" I snapped. He sniffed the air.   
"You smell really nice," he said. I blushed. "It's like... Hmm... Oh, you smell like blueberry jam! Did you like the jar I gave you for your birthday?" He asked anxiously.   
I debated wether or not I should tell him that it was actually the best blueberry jam I'd ever eaten. "It was good," I said casually. James frowned. I sighed. "It was actually delicious," I admitted. "Where did you get it?"  
James perked up. "I made it. I got the ingredients from the kitchens." 'Oh my gosh. He cared enough to make it himself,' I thought.   
"Wow, that's... Really nice of you. It was definitely the best I've ever had." James grinned.   
"I can make some more, when we get to Hogwarts," he offered. I was torn between really wanting to eat more of that jam and not wanting to admit to James that I actually liked something about him. My love of his jam won.   
"That would be great," I said. "Now, I really do have to go. See you next week." Sirius waved.   
"Bye! James said brightly. I noticed that his smile was... Different. It seemed more genuinely happy, not as cocky. Like he wasn't just trying to impress me or look handsome, he was actually really happy. And ironically, he looked cuter that way than when he tried.   
'Oh no,' I thought, 'What is happening to me?'


	5. Head Boy and Girl

Exhausted and full from the feast, I dragged myself all the way up the stairs to the Head dormitory, the one on the very top. I opened the door and gasped.   
I was standing in a circular room with two large, fluffy scarlet armchairs, two desks with chairs, and a fireplace. There were two doors, one on the left and one on the right. The one on the left had a plaque that read "Head Girl."  
I slowly walked to the door, admiring the carpet. It was gold with scarlet diamonds. The ceiling matched the one in the Great Hall.   
I got to the door and turned the handle. Professor Mcgonagall had said it wouldn't open for boys, and James' door wouldn't open for girls. My room was just as beautiful as the common room. There was the usual four-poster bed with heated blankets, and my trunk was at the foot. There was a window on the left side of my bed and a dresser on the right. There was a cushioned window seat under the window, which I thought would be the perfect place to sit and read.  
I was just admiring the scarlet plush rug in the center of the room when I heard a knock on my door. I opened it and saw James inches from my face.   
I stumbled backwards and James entered my room. "Congratulations, Head Girl," he said excitedly. "This room is sweet." He sat down on my bed. I crossed my arms.   
"And why exactly are you in my room?" I asked angrily. He smirked.   
"I got you something," he said, reaching into his pocket. I uncrossed my arms, knowing what it was. I sat down next to him on the bed.   
Sure enough, he pulled out a jar of blueberry jam. I licked my lips. "Thank you!" I exclaimed as he handed it to me. I opened it and dipped my finger inside.   
"The moment of truth," James said dramatically. I sucked the jam off of my finger. It was delicious. The blueberries were tart and James had used just enough sugar to balance it out. He must have used magic, because the blueberry chunks were still full of juice.   
"Mmmm" I moaned. "James, this is so goooooood!" James looked shocked. "What?" I asked, dipping my finger in again.  
"You used my first name!" He exclaimed. "You never use my first name! You always call me 'Potter!'" I nodded. "Yeah, I guess I did," I said distractedly. I was too indulged in the blueberry jam.   
"I like it when you do that," James said flirtatiously. "Can we keep using first names?" I didn't really hear him.   
"Sure, whatever," I said. James smirked. "What?" I asked.   
"You just agreed that we can be on first-name terms," he said smugly. I smiled.   
"That's okay. I guess you're not that bad," I said. James' face lit up. "Now, get out of my room."


	6. Bribery

I was walking to Charms when Sirius came up behind me. "Hey, Ev- I mean, Lily." He winked at me. I raised an eyebrow at him. "I heard you and James are in first-name terms. That is a huge step in your relationship."  
I rolled my eyes. "We are not in a relationship. I've just become more friendly with him since we're forced to share a dormitory. And he's actually managed to mature a little since I last saw him," I explained. Sirius winked again.   
"Yeah, sure," he said, and fell back behind me with the other marauders. I shook my head and pushed open the door to the Charms classroom. I sat down next to Palmer Patil. James sat behind me.   
To start off the year, we were supposed to read the theory for the charms we would be doing this semester. The point was to do change the appearance of an object, and have all the other objects change in the same way. 'This must be how You-Know-Who came up with Dark Marks,' I thought bitterly.   
I pushed that thought out of my head and began reading about the theory from my textbook. "Hey," I heard James whisper. 'Ignore him,' I thought.   
"Hey." I grit my teeth and turned the page. "Hey, Lily." I copied a sentence into my new notebook, for studying for N.E.W.T.s.   
"Pst." He poked the back of my head. I turned the page again. "Liiiiilyyyyyyyyy," he jabbed the back of my head repeatedly.   
"What is it?" I snapped, whirling around. James smiled sweetly.   
"Can I borrow your notes? Ya know, so I don't have to read the theory?" He asked, trying and failing to do puppy eyes.   
"You are Head Boy!" I snapped. "You are supposed to be an example for everyone else!" James pouted.   
"I know," he whispered, "But reading is reeeeealy boring. It would be much easier to just read your notes." I sighed.   
"James, my notes won't teach you nearly as well as your textbook. The spells will be easier if you read the book," I explained. But I didn't need to. Just hearing me say his first name seemed to have some magical effect on him, and he immediately backed off and started reading his textbook.   
But when I turned back around and continued reading, he poked me again. I turned around and gave him my best glare, but he just smirked.   
"If you give me your notes, I'll make you more blueberry jam," he whispered, knowing he had won the argument. I smiled. That boy knew how to bribe me now.


	7. Why Not?

Two weeks later, Peter came up to me while I was eating lunch. "Um... Lily?" He said nervously. "What?" I asked through a mouthful of ham sandwich.   
"Can you come to the quidditch pitch for a few minutes?" He asked hesitantly. I swallowed. 'This has to be some stupid plan of James' to get me to go out with him,' I thought. But now, I wasn't so sure I would say no. I nodded.   
Peter grinned in relief. "Great," he said, "let's go." I followed him outside and across the grounds. 'I wonder what he'll try now," I thought. This time, I wasn't annoyed, I was just curious. James and I had become better friends now, so I didn't see any reason not to go on a date with him. I just wasn't interested in being his girlfriend. I didn't like him that way.   
When we got to the quidditch pitch, Peter told me to go in while he stayed outside. I smiled, seeing James had made a path with lilies on each side leading to the center of the pitch. I happily walked down the path, and gold confetti started raining down on me.   
I laughed and walked faster until I got to the center of the pitch. It stopped raining confetti and for a second, everything was still. Then suddenly, I heard a rumble and a small platform rose up from out if the ground. Sitting on it was a large jar of blueberry jam.   
I picked it up and grinned. I couldn't wait to eat it. Just then, I heard an explosion overhead. I looked up, startled, and saw red and gold fireworks. Then the fireworks spelled out the words "WILL YOU GO TO HOGSMEADE WITH ME"  
I didn't know where James was, but he had to be near bye. I shouted, "Yes!" Feeling elated. James came appeared suddenly across the quidditch pitch. He came sprinting to me.   
"Really?" He shouted. I laughed and grinned even wider.   
"Yes," I repeated. James stopped in front of me, in disbelief. I spread out my arms for a hug, and he gladly accepted.


	8. Furry Little Problem

One week later, I sat with the Marauders at breakfast. They were quickly becoming my best friends. I marveled at how easily I got along with them. James, of course, had a crush on me, so he gladly let me join the group. Remus and I, both brainiacs, got along fine. Peter... He was a little creepy. He basically worshiped me. Sirius was just glad to have a girl in the group.   
So they accepted me into their inner circle, and I instantly clicked. Remus and I forced James and Sirius to do their homework, and helped Peter with what he didn't understand. We all spent many classes trying to get Sirius out of detention.   
Peter tagged along with us wherever we went, rambling on and on about how great we were and how much he owed us. Sirius and James keep calling Peter a rat, which I thought was really mean, but he didn't seem to mind. It was almost like they had a secret, like "rat" had some other meaning that made it okay to call Peter.   
Anyway, I came and sat down next to Remus at breakfast. "Hullo, Lily," he said hoarsely. I noticed he was really pale, and looked tired.   
"Woah," I said, getting concerned. "Did you sleep at all last night?" Remus nodded.   
"Yeah, I slept fine. Just... Not feeling very well," he replied. I nodded and started buttering a piece of toast. Sirius sat down across from me.   
"Good morning, flower," he said with a wink. I rolled my eyes. Then he noticed Remus. "Oi, Moony, why are you here?" He asked, confused. 'Why would he not be here?' I thought.   
Remus cleared his throat and looked pointedly at me. "Uh, I mean," Sirius stammered, "I mean, you should have gone to Madam Pomfrey." Sirius looked at me. "Yeah. That's what I meant."  
I shook my head. "You guys are hiding something," I said suspiciously. "You use these wierd nicknames, "rat" to you guys has some secret meaning, and now this?" I waited for an explenation.   
Remus sighed. "Come on," he said, standing up. Sirius and I followed. We met Peter and James at the doors, and we stopped.   
"What are you three doing?" James asked suspiciously. Remus looked him in the eye pointedly.   
"We're going to tell Lily," he said solemnly. James looked surprised. Peter just looked confused.   
"Tell her what?" He asked. James, Sirius, and Remus stared at him.   
"Have a guess," Sirius teased. Peter looked hurt.   
"Um... About the prank you-" Sirius clapped a hand over Peter's mouth and laughed nervously, looking at me. I raised an eyebrow.   
"It's nothing, really," Sirius said. "Keep guessing, Wormtail." 'Again with the weird nicknames,' I thought.   
"Oh," Peter said, realization crossing his face. "You mean Remus' furry little problem?" James grinned.   
"Good boy, Wormtail!" He said slowly, as if talking to a puppy. Peter blushed. I was really curious now. "So, are we going to Marauder HQ?" James asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. Sirius grinned.   
"'Course we are," he said excitedly. "What better place to explain?" Intrigued, I followed the four boys outside. We stopped outside the forest, by the Whomping Willow.   
"Now Lily," Remus said solemnly, "you cannot tel ANYONE what we are about to tell you." I hesitated.   
"Um..." 'What if they do something illegal?' I thought. James spoke up.   
"If you keep the secret, I'll make you another jar of blueberry jam," he said. My eyes widened.   
"Deal," I said quickly. Sirius smirked.   
"Okay," Remus said, looking around to make sure no one was around us. No one was, so he continued. "The three of them are... Animagi." I gaped at him.   
"Unregistered Animagi," Sirius added. My jaw dropped even further. 'My best friends are unregistered Animagi!' I thought. Then I calmed down. 'No, this has to be a joke.'  
"Is-is this a joke?" I stammered. Three of the four Marauders looked at each other and simultaneously transformed. Remus remained human, and looked down at his friends. I was shocked. "H-How-"   
"They trained themselves for two years" Remus explained. I realized he looked even sicker now. "James is the stag, Sirius is the dog, and Peter is the rat." 'So that's why it doesn't offend him,' I thought. 'He's literally a rat.'  
I had a million questions, but I only voiced one. "Why aren't you an amiagus?" Remus smiled bitterly.   
"Because I'm a werewolf," he replied. My jaw dropped again. "See, every full moon, I have to sneak out to the Shrieking Shack to transform so I don't hurt anyone. But, I usually hurt myself, since I can't take my energy out on anyone else. So they became Animagi to be able to come with me. James and Sirius are large enough that they can control me, and Peter is small enough to open the secret passage. Then we all leave the Shack and explore Hogsmeade," he explained.  
It was so much to take in. I sat down on the grass. Sirius came up to me and licked my arm. "Sirius!" I squealed. "That's disgusting. Bad dog." Remus smiled.   
"So, when we are in animal form, we are not Remus, Peter, Sirius, and James any longer," he said. "We are Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs!"   
I thought for a second, then asked, "So the Shack is Marauder HQ?" Remus nodded.   
"We sometimes sneak out there when we plan pranks, or just to hang out alone."   
"And why exactly are we here at the Whomping Willow?" I asked. Wormtail ran to the tree, dodging it's branches, and rammed into a knot at the base of the trunk. The branches froze, and a little door opened in the trunk.   
"That's why," said Remus. "That's the passage to HQ. Which, by the way, is much easier to say than "the Shrieking Shack." I watched in awe as the three animals walked into the tree. Remus gestured for me to follow, so I got on my hands and knees and crawled in. Remus came in behind me.   
We crawled for two minutes through a stone tunnel until we got to the Shack. I started to get nervous. "Isn't this thing really haunted?" I asked.   
"No," Remus replied calmly. "That's my screams the villagers heard." My heart sunk. I could imagine Remus as a werewolf, biting himself all over and shrieking in pain. It sounded terrible. Then I realized something. 'Tonight is a full moon!'   
"So... You guys are all going to sneak out here tonight?" I asked, climbing up into the Shack. Remus stood up behind me and nodded. "Speaking of which," said James, returning to human form, "Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital wing?"   
"Why?" I asked. Remus sighed.   
"I get kind of ill right before the moon comes out," he explained. "And yes, I am supposed to be in the hospital wing. I just wanted to see you guys, because I wasn't feeling too terrible." But he looked terrible. He was even paler now, his eyes seemed to be duller, and his hands were shaking.   
Sirius and Peter changed back. "We need to get you back to the hospital wing, mate," Sirius said, looking scared. And right at that moment, Remus fainted.   
For a moment, all of us just looked at him. Then we sprang into action. James poured water from his wand onto his friend's face to wake him up, but it didn't work. I levitated him off the ground and into the tunnel, while Peter transformed and scampered ahead to get Madam Pomfrey.   
James and I crawled behind Remus, and I levitated him through the passage with my wand. It was really awkward, trying to crawl with one hand and keep Remus steady.   
"So Lily," James said casually, "Fancy midnight romp in the village?" I considered for a moment.   
"Sure," I said. "As long as Remus says it's okay."


	9. Truth or Dare

"Lily!" I jumped as James burst through the door. I was sitting on the couch in our dorm, reading.   
"What?" I asked anxiously. He shut the door and ran inside.   
"Padfoot is gonna kill me!" He cried. I rolled my eyes.   
"James, he is not going to kill you. He's your best mate. What happened?" James, looking genuinely scared, sat down next to me.   
"We were playing quidditch, and I accidentally knocked him off his broom, so he had to go to the hospital wing and he thinks I did it it on purpose and now he's furious and he said he'd get me back while I sleep!" James hugged his knees to his chest.   
"This is stupid," I said. "He's not going to kill you. Just talk to him." James shook his head.  
"I tried!" He said, somewhat hysterically. "He doesn't believe me!" I put down my book.   
"Okay, then stay up all night," I suggested. I knew Sirius could really do something cruel. He shook his head.   
"I can't stay up all night, Sirius knows that." He looked at me pleadingly. "Can I camp out in your room?"   
"No!" I exclaimed.   
"Pleeeeeeeeeeease?" He whined. "It'll be like a sleepover. Please?" I thought for a moment. A sleepover with a friend sounded fun, but... James was becoming more than a friend. After thinking hard the past few days, I could finally put a label on my feelings. As much as I hated to admit it, I had a crush on James Potter. I sighed.   
"Fine," I said. James grinned.   
"Yeah!" He shouted, pumping his fist in the air. "Sleepover!" I looked at him seriously.   
"But you're sleeping on the floor," I said. James looked like he was about to protest for a second, but he didn't. I smirked and walked to my room to prepare. My room was spotless as usual, so I just had to conjure a sleeping bag. I made a large grey one with my wand, and placed it on the floor next to my bed.   
James walked in with a pillow and blanket, and made his temporary bed. Then he went to his room to change. I dug through my drawer, trying to find appropriate PJ's. I typically slept in a large shirt, but there was no way I would let James see me in that. Finally, I decided to just wear a plain t-shirt and sweatpants.   
James knocked on the door, and when I opened it, I saw that he was wearing the same thing. We both laughed as he came inside. "You not have any actual PJ's either?" I asked, shutting the door.   
"Nope," he said, sitting down on his sleeping bag. "Wanna play truth or dare?"   
"James," I said incredulously, "Tomorrow is a Monday. We need to get to sleep." He sighed.   
"True," he admitted, "but can we please play for just ten minutes?" I smiled.   
"Okay. Truth or dare?"  
"Truth."  
"Really? Truth? Aren't you a Gryffindor?"  
"Yes I am. Truth."  
"Fine. Is it true that you kissed Alice?" James gulped.   
"Er... Yeah," he admitted. I giggled. "Okay, Lily, truth or dare?"  
"Dare."  
"I dare you to come to the kitchens with me."  
"Um, okay. When?"  
James sat up to look me in the eye. "Now," he said. I sighed.   
"I guess I have no choice," I said, and reluctantly I followed him out of my room. He quickly retrieved his Invisibility Cloak from his room and threw it over both of us. I felt nervous being this close to him.   
When we got to the kitchens, a dozen house-elves came up to us and bowed. "Would you like a pot of tea?" One of them squeaked. I was about to accept, but James said,  
"No. I'm going to make some blueberry jam. Do you have the ingredients?" One house-elf hurried away, and returned with blueberries, sugar, and water.   
"You dared me to come down here so you could make blueberry jam?" I asked, confused. It wasn't very daring to watch your friend make your favorite food. James nodded and set to work.   
A house-elf brought me some tea, and I sipped it while watching James. I wondered what he could be up to, bringing me down here at night. There was no way he simply wanted to make jam.   
When he finished, he asked a house-elf for some toast. We sat side-by-side on a countertop, enjoying James' delicious jam on toast. After he finished one piece, he hopped down off the counter and told me to follow him. We got back under the Cloak and walked to the Great Hall.   
We sat down across from each other at the Gryffindor table, and I cast disillusionment charms on us so we wouldn't be seen. It was beautiful, sitting under the stars. We sat for a few minutes, just looking at the stars and munching out toast. Then James cleared his throat.   
"Um... Lily?" He asked nervously. I stayed quiet, but I looked at him. I marveled that I didn't think he was handsome before. His untidy raven hair, his sparkling hazel eyes, his tall, thin build... It was mesmerizing. Now, he was nervous. His cocky smile was gone, and there were beads of sweat on his forehead.   
"Will you be my girlfriend?" He blurted out, then immediately clapped a hand over his mouth. I just looked at him, stunned. Then I giggled. It was so like him to just blurt that out. I laughed hard.   
James laughed nervously, still waiting for my answer. "Ha ha... Ha... Um, what are we laughing at?" He asked. I shook my head.   
"You!" I laughed. He looked hurt. I grabbed his hand and forced myself to stop laughing. "Yes," I said, trying hard not to break out in laughter again. "Yes, I will be your girlfriend."  
"Yes!" He jumped up and down, pumping his fists in the air. "But wait..." His grin faded. "Why were you laughing?" I smiled.   
"It was just so typical of you to ask like that," I explained. "So James-ish. I love it, though." He smiled again. I got up and sat on the table so that my feet were on the chair he had been sitting on. He stopped jumping and just looked at me, his beautiful hazel eyes meeting my bright green ones.   
Then, I did something that shocked even me. I kissed him. Yes, I, Lily Evans, kissed James Potter. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him. At first, he just stood stock-still, but then he hugged me and kissed me back. When at last we broke apart, he appeared dazed. I smirked.   
"You taste like blueberry jam," he mumbled. That was all he said. I laughed at the James-ness of it all, and walked out of the Great Hall.


	10. And That's When Sirius Lost His Shirt

James sat at the desk in our dorm, making a list of songs to play, while I made streamers with my wand. We has decided to host a Gryffindor graduation party in secret in our dorm. So all of the Gryffindor seventh-years would be celebrating the end of our N.E.W.T.s tonight.   
So I hung red and gold streamers from the ceiling. Then, I moved the couch from the center of the room to against the wall using my wand. I changed a section of the carpet in the center to wood, so we could have a dance floor.   
"Done!" James announced, dropping his quill on the desk. "One-hundred party songs."   
"Great," I said distractedly. "Now can you go see if the house-elves are done with the cake?" He nodded and left the room. I transfigured the desk lamp into a disco ball and stuck it to the ceiling. Then I multiplied the desk chair into fifteen chairs, which scattered themselves around the dance floor.   
James came entered the room as I elongated the desk into a buffet table. "Did they make the cake?" I asked. He shook his head.   
"They didn't finish it yet, but they had butterbeer, crisps, chicken, and chocolate frogs." He set them up on the buffet table, leaving a large space in the middle for a cake. Then we flopped down on the couch, tired from our preparations. James summoned a chocolate frog and bit the head off.   
I jumped up. "Wait, we're missing something," I said, dashing into my room. James watched curiously as I emerged with a jar. "We need some of your blueberry jam," I explained, setting it on the table. He shook his head.   
"Not exactly party food, though, is it, Flower?" The Marauders had decided I needed a nickname too, so I became 'Flower.'  
"No," I admitted, "but it's the best food, so I needed it out here."  
"Why thank you," James said. "I'm glad you prefer my jam over crisps. Now, my Flower, shall we go to dinner?" He stood up and offered me his arm.   
"We shall," I said, taking his arm. We marched to the Great Hall arm-in-arm.   
*Later that night*  
"Wow Lily, you guys did a great job!" Alice exclaimed as she entered the Head dormitory. My iPod was blaring out the music from James' list, and the disco ball was turned on.   
"Thanks," I said, beaming. The rest of our classmates filed in, and the party began. Everyone was dancing happily to the Mer-Sisters' new hit song "Magical Moment22." I was pretty content, glad that everyone liked the party. I was about to ask James when he wanted to cut the cake, but that's when Sirius list his shirt.   
I stopped dead and stared at him. "What are you doing?" I hissed. This was supposed to be a dance party. A calm one, where no one removed their clothing. He smirked.   
"Like what you see, Flower?" He asked smugly. I shook my head.   
"No! Put your shirt back on!" He frowned.   
"Come on, Lily, it's just my shirt. You've gotta be the only girl here who doesn't like these abs." Alice came up next to me.   
"Ooh! Hi, Sirius," she said. He raised his eyebrows at me. Then James walked up to us, also not wearing a shirt. I gaped at him. Now, shirtless Sirius was kind of gross. But shirtless James? That was hot.   
James was smirking at me. "Is there a problem?" He asked pointedly.   
"N-no," I said dazedly. "No, I guess it's fine." Sirius laughed.   
"Don't worry," he said, "We'll make sure Wormy keeps his shirt on." James and I laughed.   
"So when are you going to cut the cake?" I asked, still kind of awed by his abs. He laughed.   
"I guess I'll do it now," he replied. Sirius cupped his hands around his mouth.   
"OI!"He shouted. "CAKE TIME!" Everyone surrounded the table.   
"Who gets the first piece?" Peter asked excitedly. I laughed.   
"Why, Flower does, of course," James replied. Peter's face fell as James handed me a thick slice of chocolate cake. "Cheer up, Wormy," he said, giving him a very tiny piece. "This one's for you." Peter frowned. "What? It's more than enough for a rat," James smirked.   
Peter sulked away while James served everyone else. I found him sitting in a chair, picking at his cake. "Here, you can have mine. I'm not a big fan if chocolate cake anyway." Peter happily grabbed my plate and dug in. I went back to the table and got the jar of blueberry jam. Peter and I sat next to each other, enjoying the cake and the jam.   
Remus sat down on my other side, a Gryffindor tie tied around his head and a bottle of butterbeer in his hand. "Hi Moo-y," Peyer said through a mouthful of cake. "Wha a oo oing?"   
Remus smiled proudly. "I got a girl to dance with me," he said, puffing out his chest. Peter swallowed his cake.   
"Really? Who?" I waited for an answer, too.   
"Alice," he said proudly. A few feet away, Alice heard her name and turned around. Remus flashed a smile at her and waved. She blushed and waved back.   
"Wow," I said, surprised. I never thought Alice really liked Remus. But we didn't really hang out as much this year, since I was usually with the Marauders.   
Just then, "A Cauldron Full of Hot Strong Love," Celestina Warbeck's new song, came on. A few people moved to the floor to slow dance. James walked up to me and offered me his hand.   
"May I have this dance?" He asked. I giggled and stood up, taking his hand.  
"EVERYONE CLEAR THE FLOOR!" Sirius yelled. Everyone left the dance floor, and the room went quiet except for the music. "May I present their majesties, Head Boy and Girl, James Potter and Lily Evans!" Everyone clapped as James and I stepped onto the floor, laughing.   
As we danced, Sirius continued to speak. "This, my friends, is love at it's finest. For six years, James Potter chased after Lily Evans, who wanted nothing to do with him. But as he grew older, Mr. Potter began to change. And just a little more maturity, a wee bit more honesty, is all it took for Ms. Evans to see what she had been missing."   
Then the music ended, and we stopped slow dancing. But we stood there for a fraction of a second, each knowing that the other wanted the same thing. So James held my face, and kissed me. Everyone cheered.   
I wrapped my arms around his waist, feeling his large warm hands on my cheeks and his lips on mine. He tasted like butterbeer. When I finally broke away, the cheering stopped and everyone went back to dancing. James led me over to the couch where we sat, his arm draped around my shoulder.   
"Do I still taste like blueberry jam?" I asked. James' cheeks turned red.  
"Yeah," he said sheepishly. I laughed and kissed him again.


	11. Happy 20th

I trudged down the hallway to the kitchen in my apartment. It was my twentieth birthday, and it seemed everyone had forgotten. I had thought of ways to celebrate and mailed my friends, but no one replied. No one sent any cards or presents. Not even- a couple tears came to my eyes- not even James.   
I didn't know why. James and I had been dating for three years, and yet he didn't remember my birthday. As I made some tea, I sang to myself. "Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me. Happy birthday dear Lily, happy birthday to me."  
But so far, it didn't look like this birthday would be so happy. I decided to just go about my day like normal. I ate breakfast, got dressed, fed the cat... I really had nothing to do. So I settled on the couch with a book.   
I read for about ten minutes, and then I heard a knock on my door. Slowly, I went to the door and opened it. I was greeted with the sight of the entire Order of the Phoenix. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" They shouted. I squealed. 'They didn't forget!' I thought gleefully.   
"Oh, thank you, guys!" I exclaimed. "Come on in." I stepped to the side and everyone flooded into my apartment. James kissed me and handed me a bouquet of flowers.   
"Happy birthday, Flower," he said. Remus gave me a hug and a card and lifted Wormtail, in his rat form, onto my shoulder. He rubbed against my cheek, and I scratched his head with one finger. Padfoot, as a dog, jumped up and licked my hand. I laughed, overjoyed that all my friends had come to see me on my birthday.   
I walked with them into the kitchen, where everyone else had covered the table in presents and cards. Alice was setting a huge trey if cupcakes on the middle of the table.   
"Guys," I said thankfully, "you didn't have to do this."   
"After all you've done for the Order?" Said Mcgonagall proudly. "Lily, you're one of the bravest people I know. You definitely deserve this." I smiled, glad that my professor was proud of me.   
"Can we eat the cupcakes already?" Remus asked. I grinned and nodded. Everyone cheered and grabbed a cupcake. "Alright, now let's see some presents!" Remus said excitedly.   
I got an inferi-repelling amulet from Alastor, a muggle book from Frank, perfume from Alice, a lavender wizard's hat from Dedalus, a book about cats from Mcgonagall, a book about dementors from Remus, a stack of cauldron cakes from Peter, and a bottle of Odgen's best firewhiskey from Sirius.   
I was so happy that my friends did this for me, and the gifts were wonderful. But I hadn't gotten one from James, except for the flowers...  
Alice announced that she was going to make a birthday lunch for everyone. I told her she could use everything in my kitchen, and she set to work. Meanwhile, we all moved to the living room and sat down to talk.   
I sat next to James, my head resting on his shoulder. I loved him no matter what, and the flowers were nice, but... I couldn't help wondering why there was nothing else. I wasn't being greedy. It was just that, knowing James, he probably had some huge surprise coming.   
We all talked and ate dinner, and generally had a good time. I loved being with my friends, but I couldn't stop thinking about James. After dinner, I gave everyone a glass of my firewhiskey. Sirius toasted me, and we all drank. Then James stood up.   
"Uh, hey, hey everyone! Uh, attention?" He stammered. He was sweating and his hands were shaking. He looked at Sirius, who gave him a knowing look.   
"OI!" He shouted. Everyone quieted and looked at him. James knelt down in front of me.   
"Uh, Lily," he began. He pulled a tiny black box out of pocket. I gasped and clapped my hands over my mouth. He laughed nervously.   
"I- I love you," he said. I lowered my shaking hands, tears of joy in my eyes.   
"I love you too," I whispered. He opened the box and revealed a ring with an emerald that matched my eyes. I looked into James' eyes, waiting for the big question.   
He gulped. "Will you marry me?" He asked anxiously.   
I didn't need to think. I knew the answer. "Yes," I choked. James' face lit up, his smile reached from ear to ear as he stood up and slipped the ring on my finger. Then we kissed.   
He tasted like firewhiskey, and that's what he was to me. He was like a flame always burning, never leaving me. He could drown out my sorrow or fear, he was what kept me going.   
Everyone clapped, and Sirius wolf-whistled as we kissed. When we broke apart, Sirius, Remus, and Peter jumped up and congratulated James. Apparently they had known he would propose tonight. After a minute, James suddenly broke away from them.   
"Oh, Lily, I forgot I have another gift for you," he said. I watched curiously as he disappeared into the living room, then came back with a small gift bag. Grinning, he handed it to me. Everyone watched while I opened it. I laughed, remembering how this all started. He hadn't made one of these since we were at Hogwarts.   
It was blueberry jam.


	12. Chapter 12

Mary put the finishing touches on my makeup and helped me stand up. I looked in the mirror and admired myself.  
I had chosen the perfect dress after all. The top was tight and strapless, with pearls all over. The skirt was long and floaty. My hair was in curls, and I had a simple veil with a beautiful diamond tiara.  
Mary and Alice, my bridesmaids, were wearing simple lavender gowns with pearl chokers and headbands. I couldn't wait to see what James and the boys looked like. That hadn't let me see their outfits.  
"Ready?" Alice asked, beaming at me.  
"Ready," I replied. I wasn't really nervous. I knew James and I were meant for each other. So we left my room and walked down the hallway of the house that James and I had bought after getting engaged. I looked opened the door and looked at the backyard.  
It had taken me, James, Alice,Mary, Sirius, Remus, and Peter to magic a nice enough setting for a wedding. We ended up with a stone path lined on each side with lilies that led to a circular stone platform, next to which was a grand piano. The platform had lavender curtains around it. On each side of the path there were five rows of white folding chairs. It wasn't much, but James and I had deemed it "good enough."  
I was supposed to sit inside until Frank started to play "Magical Moment" by the Mer-sisters on the piano. Then I would go out the door and walk down the aisle to James. Mary and Alice were to go outside and greet all of the guests.  
I sat down at the kitchen table and smoothed my skirt, overjoyed to think that in less than an hour, James and I would be husband and wife. I also wondered wether Petunia and her husband would actually show up. Part of me knew they wouldn't like it even if they did, but part of me really wanted to see her again.  
I watched as the seats filled with people. I didn't see Petunia, and my heart sank. But I saw my Uncle John. I was glad he showed up. Eugene Fudge, the Minister of Magic, standing on the platform making a speech. James, Sirius, and Remus were standing behind him. Remus was paying rapt attention to Fudge, but James and Sirius were fidgeting and looking around. I laughed.  
Then Fudge stepped down from the platform and Frank began to play the piano. I stood up, took a deep breath, and opened the door. We didn't have a flower girl. I slowly walked down the aisle, savoring the moment. The warm summer sunshine lighting up the yard, the soft breeze ruffling my skirt, and everything just feeling so... Right. Like this was what was supposed to happen to me, as if this was planned from the start. I knew I was doing the right thing, marrying the right person.  
James held out his hand and helped me up onto the platform. He was wearing a crisp black dress robe, which I knew must have been stifling hot. His hair was as messy as ever, and I liked it that way. I knew I would have been disappointed if he had managed to flatten it.  
I stood in front of James, holding both of his hands. The rest was a blur. I just remember staring into James' beautiful hazel eyes, hearing Fudge's pointless words. Then we said our vows, and Peter gave us our rings, and then James kissed me. It was short and sweet, and to me, it was perfect. Because it was with James.  
And to think it all started because of blueberry jam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally made up both the song "Magical Moment" and the band, the Mer-Sisters. They do not actually exist in the magical or muggle world. I also made up Lily's friends, Mary and Relda. I hope you enjoyed this!
> 
> From the Half-Blood Princess


End file.
